Exporting a GPX file
What Trailkeep puts in a GPX export, which apps work best, and what to expect on your phone or watch.
Trailkeep exports one continuous trail line through your placed stops, plus named pins for each waypoint. Off-route traces you drew are included. The file is meant for navigation apps and GPS devices — not a mirror of everything in Trailkeep (check-ins and live safety data stay in the app).
Your plan, not ground truth. Routes and off-route segments in the export are exactly what you drew or placed — Trailkeep does not survey or verify that any path is legal, passable, or safe. Check closures, permissions, and terrain before you follow the file in the field or share it with others who might treat it as an official route.
What is in the file
<trk>— stitched route through Day 1 trailhead → camps/stops → … in order (one chain; Day 2+ continues from the previous night's stop)<wpt>— named pins with notes where you placed stops (Day 1 trailhead + each waypoint)- Off-route segments — village detours and side trips exactly as drawn
- Elevation — preserved when your uploaded GPX had
<ele>data
Day boundaries in Trailkeep are organizational (stats, list view). The export covers only the path between your placed stops — not unplanned sections of a long upload. If you uploaded a 300 km file but only mapped three days along one section, the export follows those three days, not the full upload.
How to export
- Trail panel — open Trail, then Export in the Route file section.
- Route preview — open the route map from Trail, then Export edited GPX.
Confirm in the dialog, then open the downloaded .gpx in your navigation app.
You need an uploaded GPX route first. See Uploading a GPX file.
Recommended apps
| App | Line + pins | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gaia GPS | Yes | Drag-drop or Share → Open in Gaia. Primary recommendation. |
| OsmAnd | Yes | Share → Open with OsmAnd. Follows geometry exactly. |
| Garmin handheld | Yes | USB → GARMIN/NewFiles/ or via Garmin Connect. |
| Footpath | Yes | Share → Open in Footpath (iOS). |
| Komoot | Line yes; pins often no on phone | Import → Stick to original route. Do not choose "Match to known ways" or off-trail traces reroute. Camp names may require web import (Komoot 2026+). |
| AllTrails | No | Not suitable for custom imported navigation. |
What you should not expect
- "Next camp in 15 km" on most watches — devices follow the line; remaining distance is usually to the end of the file, not the next pin.
- Day 2 as a separate start pin — the trail continues from last night's camp; you do not place Day 2+ starts on the map in Trailkeep.
- Check-in GPS — safety check-ins are not written into the GPX.
- Komoot parity — Komoot's own exports drop planner waypoints; imported Trailkeep pins are geometry-first on phone.
Komoot quick steps
- Save the
.gpxfrom Trailkeep. - Komoot app → Profile → Saved routes → Import.
- Choose Import to Plan a Route → Hiking.
- When prompted, choose Stick to original route (critical for off-trail traces).
- For named camp pins on phone, import via komoot.com web planner if needed, then sync to the app.
Garmin compatibility
Garmin handhelds may silently drop excess waypoint labels (typically up to 50 on older units). The export uses the full stored route resolution (up to 5,000 track points after upload simplification) — well within modern Garmin limits. Very large files may still be truncated on older hardware; split long thru-hikes if needed.
Waypoint name fallbacks
Unnamed stops get sensible export names:
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Water source | Day 1 Water |
| Resupply | Day 2 Resupply |
| Last stop of the day | Day 3 Camp |
| Other | Day 1 · Stop 2 |
Planning model (Day 1 start only)
- Day 1: place the trailhead on the map.
- Day 2+: continues from the last placed stop on the previous day (usually camp). You can still edit the Day 2+ label in the list (e.g. "Grinton B&B") — that is text only, not a second map pin.
- Village detours: click away from the route on the map to draw an off-trail path — not a separate day start.